Brassiere



March 9, 1954 c. B. STUDLER BRASSIERE Filed July 30. 1951 2 ll 2...: v5. 9

62,424 5. STUOZEQ INVENTOR.

prraex/Ey Patented Mar. 9, 1954 UNITED .STATES QFFEE 2,671,217 BRASSIE glare. B, Studler, Glendale, Calif. rnlicat c J l 1951,v sea Nvzero '3 Claims.

This invention relates to a garment havin means for functioning as a brassiere, and in the following specification, the invention is described as constructed simply as a brassire, but it should be understood that the features of the brassiere about to be described may, if desired, be incorporated'in any suitable garment or lingerie, such as a slip-for example.

The brassiere aboutto be described is of a type characterized b the fact that the article functions without the use of any belt or girdle located at the waist line. In other words, the level of the brassiere on the wearers body is confined to the level of the breasts'and a relatively lime ited distance below the horizontal plane in which the-breasts lie.

One of the diiliculties encountered in CQIl-r structing a brassire of this type involves the location of the shoulder straps andtheir relation to each other, particularly attheback; and in this connection it should be stated that it is most desirable, if possible, to dispose the shoulder straps that support the brassiere at the front in such a way that at the backthe straps will not be seen when the wearer has donned a fairly low c t shirt Waist or bodice.

Ano her difi cultv experi nced by women wear.- i e b assires is th t t e shoulder straps often have a tendency to slide down. off the shoulders, ndrth s tendency, of course, becomes Worse if the weare ls dancin Accordin y a prin ipal ob e t of the p sent inven ion is to provide a brassiere with features f construction that will oopcratetcprevent the shculd rstraps from slippin of the sh al: crs, or on th o her hand from exhibit ng a tendency to climb upon the wearerfs neck,

Allothgro'lojegt .of'the invention is to provide a brassire constructed so that it presents a bandeau worn across the breast, provided with a single location at which the ends of the bandeau can be connected to each other, and having an elastic connection at the back connected into the bandeau insuch a way as to insure the presence of sufiicien-t yielding tension in the shoulder straps to give comfort indirectly-and at the some timehol'ding the rear ends or" the shoulder straps at a point in the bandeau'that will give the straps a. direction in passing over the shoulder tending to prevent their slipping down off the shoulders, or a tendency to climb upon the wearers neck.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a brassiere such as described with features of construction that will insure that the brassiere will be comfortable when worn.

Further objects of the invention will become evident from a careful reading of the following specification, and a study of the accompanying drawing.

The invention consists in the combination of parts all of which contribute to produce an efficient brassiere.

1 th d n Figure l is a perspective showing the forward side only of a brassiere embodying this invention, its relation to the wearer body being indicated by dotted lines.

figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1 but showing the brassiere as viewed iron; the rear, and in a or a s ate- Figure 3 is a fragmentary view illustrating the anchor point for the rear ends of the shoulder straps, and their adjacent parts; and indicating lso the relation or action of the elastics at the rear of the bandeau when an abnormal tension is developed in the shoulder straps.

Figure l is a rear fragmentary view similar to Figure 3 but illustrating a slight variation in the action of the rear anchor connection for the straps particularly as affecting the degree of extension developed in the elastic by reason of a slight variation in the character of a pad which I emp o et ee th c as s Figure 5 is a iragmentary view, and is a crosssection through the connection point of the bandeau taken about on the line 55 of Figure l, and-particularl illustrating how the fastening means is neatly covered and concealed at a point on the forward side of the bandeau.

Referring particularly to the drawing, in practicing-theinvention I provide a, bandeau l, which preferably has its greatest depth or width on the medial vertical plane between the two cups 2 that are carried by the bandeau.

The bandea-u lis preferably in on piece with its detachable fastening means at the vertical line 3 where the forward edges of the sides of the bandeau overlap each other. The construction at this point is illustrated in detail in Figure 5 and is described more specifically hereinafter.

Each cup ;2 is preferably composed of a lower section or portion 2a which has the usual central seam 6 to enable it to be given substantially the shape of a half cone while the upper portion of eaehcup includes a portion 2b that is curved above, the lower edges of which are stitched to the side edges l of the lower portion 2a of the cup. In this way a peak '3 is formed on each cup.

At the base of the upper portions 22) an upward extension 9 is formed substantially in vertical line with the peak 8, and at these points 9 the shoulder straps ID are attached.

As shown clearly in Figures 1 and 2 the sides Ia of the bandeau taper in width from the relatively wide portion at the point Ic adjacent to the lateral sid edges of the cup, to their rear edges lb where the bandeau is relatively narrow.

The rear edges I b of the bandeau are permanently secured together by a connection including a pad I I located in line with the medial vertical plane, and the ends of this pad are connected by elastic strips I2 to the edges lb. The details of this connection are illustrated clearly in Figures 3 and 4.

The pad I I is preferably formed of a fabric of two or more layers, and to the middle portion of its upper edge I5 the rear ends I3 of the shoulder straps I are secured by sewing. They are pref.. erably attached so that they form an angle I4 between them the vertex of which is located substantially at the upper edge of the pad.

The pad II is preferably of rectangular form.

In Figure 2 the pad II is disposed in a horizontal position so that it is in line with the edges lb of the sides Ia of the brassiere, and in this view the upper edge I5 of the pad is substantially horizontal. This is the normal position for the pad when the brassire has been properly adjusted to the wearers body. However, if there is an increase of tension in the shoulder straps for any reason, this tension naturally operates to raise the pad II out of line with the edges Id as indicated in Figure 3, so that the edge I5 will assume a slightly convexly curved condition, substantially as shown. This movement raises the end portions It of the pad II to an extent so that the elastics I2 become inclined and slightly stretched. In this way the tension exerted by the elastics becomes slightly increased, and by reason of the fact that the elastics become inclined somewhat, as shown in Figure 3, the vertical component of the inclined tension or pull meets this increased tension in the strap and tends to establish equilibrium again.

In Figure 4 I illustrate a slight modification in the character of the pad designated by the number IIa. This pad is relatively stiffer than the pad EI and if desired this may be accomplished by starching and ironing a pad such as the pad I I, though other means may be employed, if desired, to give this pad increased stiffness as compared with the pad II; and the effects are desirable because, due to the stiffness of the pad its ends U will be relatively elevated as compared with the ends of the ad I I. This gives relatively an increased upward inclination of the inner pad of the elastics I2, and due to the relatively increased inclination the vertical component of the inclined pull is relatively greater. In addition to this the relatively stiff pad imparts this vertical component force to the lower ends of the strap I (I more effectively.

The width of the bandeau is such that its forward face is wide enough to enable the entire lower edge I8 of each cup to be stitched to it, so that the lower edges of the cups are spaced a short distance above the lower edge I9 of the bandeau which is disposed in a substantially horizontal plane throughout its entire length.

Each shoulder strap is preferably provided with an adjustable connection 20 which in Figure 1 is illustrated as located at the front.

Referring to Figure 5, the connection at the dividing line 3 for the forward ends of the bandeau, preferably includes overlapping flaps 2| and 22 at the front side which conceal any fasteners such as hooks and eyes 23 which may be employed. On the inner side such a fastener should be covered by a relatively wide flap 24 which prevents the fastener from coming in direct contact with the surface of ones body. It should be understood, however, that any suitable fastening means such as zippers may be employed at this point, if desired.

Many other embodiments of this invention may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. A brassiere comprising a bandeau having its greatest width at its front, substantially 0n the medial vertical plane of the brassiere, a pair of cups carried by said bandeau located respectively on opposite sides of the said medial plane and having peaks respectively substantially in their medial plane, said bandeau being divided on its forward side so as to present two adjacent edges and having fastening means for connecting said edges, the sides of said bandeau terminating short of said medial plane at the back, and tapering in width from a relatively wide portion attached to the outer lateral edges of said cups to a relatively narrow width at its rear edges, a pad disposed between said rear edges; elastic strips respectively connecting the ends of said pad to the said rear edges; and shoulder straps attached adjacent to each other at their tips at their rear ends to the middle portion of said pad so as to form a single angle with each other, the vertex of which is located substantially at the upper side edge of said pad, to enable said straps to extend free and unobstructed up over the shoulders and down at the front, and having their forward ends attached to the cups substantially in line with the peaks thereof.

2. A garment according to claim 1 in which the said pad is relatively stifi so as to cause its ends to become relatively elevated when tension is increased in the straps, thereby increasing the tension in the elastic strips.

3. A garment operating as a brassire according to claim 1, in which the said pad is substantially rectangular and composed of starched fabric of sufficient stiffness to cause the pad to substantially retain its rectangular form when tension in the straps is increased, thereby causing a relative increase in the degree of stretching imparted to the said elastic strips.

CLARA B. STUDLER.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS France Mar. 2, 193 7 

